SRX 700 Hard starting when cold

jvizzacc

jvizzacc

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Joined
Oct 25, 2004
Messages
162
Age
64
Location
Livonia, MI
After my SRX sits for a day or more, it is very hard to start. I have determined that it is not receiving fuel. After 20 or 30 pulls #$%&* she finally lites up and runs fine. If I stop for a break, it will fire on the first pull then die. the second pull starts her up again.

My conclusion is that ... somehow ... the fuel is leaking out of the line while it sits. Trying to start it without fuel is difficult. After the 30 pulls, apparantly the fuel pump has pumped enough fuel into the engine for it to start, however, my arm is suffering greatly.

Can anyone shed some light on WHERE the fuel is leaking from and WHERE it is leaking to? I cannot smell gas around the sled at any time, so it is not leaking "out".

Thanks. :o|
 

Is it an 01 by any chance? - if it is, there is a service bulletin on a relay switch to the headlight that makes them start then quit when they are warm - as for cold starting, I've had six SRX's and everyone of them have started hard when it is cold - dealer told me that the fuel siphons back into the tank when they set awhile leaving only oil going into the cylinders when you try to start it - I've pulled the spark plugs and put a teaspoon of fuel in each cylinder, and they fire right up (kind of a pain in the butt) - they actually need a primer on them, but not sure how you would do it
 
Install a fuel petcock, I spliced the fuel line under the hood on the left, ...you can also install a dash mounted petcock as well (easier to get at). When I'm finished riding I engage the fuel cutoff and when starting in the extreme cold weather the my SRX takes about 5-10 pulls (worse case), typically 3-5 in milder weather. My other sleds have fuel shutoffs as well and I've noticed better starting in both of them, ...also prevents fuel from getting in to the crankcase while trailering (I've had that happen more than once).
 
Try this trick, at the end of the day use the choke to kill the engine, sled can sit for days and i always start on 3rd pull, even on really cold days, this trick was past on to me last year..............James
 
Ordered a fuel shutoff valve. I'll see if that makes a difference.

I removed the carbs this summer and cleaned 'em up. The problem is now worse, i.e. I didn't have this problem prior to removing the carbs. ???

Thanks

:yam:
 
Make sure all the clamps and fittings on the carbs are tight.
 
If the clamps were not tight then the gasoline would leak out into the n-gen compartment. Then I would smell it. I don't smell no stinkin gas at all!
 
The fact that the starting problem seems to coincide with the carb removal, ...I suggest you trace your steps. Not smelling gas doesn't necessarily mean that you don't have a minor air leak, check all your fuel pump hoses including the pulser hose. As a side note, ...did you check your float bowl adjustment?
 
Try readjusting the choke. There should be very little play in the cable with choke off. Also are you pulling the choke all the way to full open?
 
Choke - May be a little out of adjustment, but the truth is that there is no gas available to the carbs.

Air leak - Now there's a lead to follow. I went to install the shutoff valve last nite. BTW, my 01 SRX has a 5/16 fuel line, not 1/4. I bought 1/4 line and now I'll need to get some 5/16. WHAT IS / WHERE IS the pulser hose? During installation, I did notice air bubbles in a line. The line from the bottom of the tank to the fuel pump is black. There is another fuel line that appears to be some kind of return back to the top of the tank -- This line is clear and I CAN see air bubbles in it. Is this the pulser hose? I'll 2* check this tonite.

Floats - did not gauge them, just eyed them. They all looked correct and consistent with each other, so I did not make any adjustments.

Thanks all!
 
Went out this weekend. Summbeetch would NOT start. Every morning I had to use ether, and the first morning I had to put ether directly into one of the cylinders. OK, so it was like 0 degrees. Those things are a BEAR to pull over when it is that cold!

My buddy's 98 SRX700 started MUCH easier than mine. he didnt' need ether, just about 10-15 pulls. I put new needles and seats in his last year.

I'm gettin' too old to be pullin that bad boy 20 times every morning.

Besides needle/seat and fuel shutoff, is there anything else I can do to make her light a little easier? I am using Denso Iridium plugs.
 
yammiman said:
Is it an 01 by any chance? - if it is, there is a service bulletin on a relay switch to the headlight that makes them start then quit when they are warm - as for cold starting, I've had six SRX's and everyone of them have started hard when it is cold - dealer told me that the fuel siphons back into the tank when they set awhile leaving only oil going into the cylinders when you try to start it - I've pulled the spark plugs and put a teaspoon of fuel in each cylinder, and they fire right up (kind of a pain in the butt) - they actually need a primer on them, but not sure how you would do it
Click to expand...
I've got an '01 and that warm start quit and then start on the second pull happens to mine all the time. I've been cracking the throttle when I turn it over, sometimes I can catch it most times I can't. Would love to fix it. Do you have any additional information on the service bulletin or where the relay is located.
 
Stumbled across a solution ...

OK. Wake up THurs am, cabin burning (literally). I'll bypass the details on this ...

So we gotta move the sleds so that the fire trucks can get close to the cabin. Put choke on, multiple pulls, finally starts. No time to allow it to warm up, so we move the sleds cold, with the chokes on. Then they get shut down. Hours later, when the fire dept has finally left, etc, I go to start the sled. FIRST PULL she lites.

Hmmmm.

So I then ride it for awhile, and kill the motor by choking it out. Next morning, fires up on first pull.

For some reason, I'm losing fuel after shutdown, but this choke it out thing seems to solve the problem!

Opinions?

Thanks
 
On the '01 relay problem...if your sled is warm and the lights are on HI beam, it will stall. If you have it on LOW beam when it is warm, it will not stall! If you don't want to have that problem, they gave me a relay w/an extra prong and a different wiring harness to tap into the handlebar harness for the fix, which was covered by the factory. They told me not all '01s did this, but mine did. Odd eh?
 
how would i splice a petcock (petcock is like a primer right?) into my 99 srx? its a BITCH to start in the cold. Wont start unless i pour gas into the cyl head.
 
Petcock is a shutoff valve, which, in a case of a minor leak somewhere allowing fuel to run back into the tank, would prevent the fuel from flowing in any direction. This did seem to make a bit of a difference in my case. Also, some have noted that after trailering with a full tank of gas that gas somehow gets into the cylinders from being shaken up. This could result in bent rods. ow. So the petcock, for $15, solves both of these problems. Easy to install. Biggest problem is that the desired petcocks (those which can mount on the dash or something) are 1/4". The fuel lines on my SRX are 5/16". No big deal, just use good clamps and tighten em up good.

I installed my petcock on the left side, just below the ignition system. Use the stock fuel line to feed it, then purchase some 5/16 fuel line to route it back to the fuel pump. Pretty easy install.
 
A petcock will not make a difference if there are other issues causing hard starting -- dirty carbs, old gas, misadjusted choke, etc. Ensure that you address all issues.
 
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